Hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains

Below is a collection of trails in the Santa Monica Mountains. These hikes are listed from west to east, but the table may also be sorted alphabetically or by distance to help you pick your next hike. There is also a search feature, which can be used to quickly isolate the hike you are looking for. Each trail links to its own report complete with photos, maps, directions, and all the other information needed to locate and enjoy these treks. You can also view hikes around the Santa Monica Mountains on the Hike Finder Map.

Highlights of the Santa Monica Mountains

Hiking the Santa Monica Mountains

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area spans 40 miles west to east across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties from Point Mugu to Griffith Park. A network of federal, state, and city parks protect over 150,000 acres of this coastal range, offering hundreds of miles of hiking trails.

Did you know? One in seventeen Americans lives within a one hour drive of the Santa Monica Mountains. The national recreation area receives over 30 million visitors each year, but despite the beautiful scenery and easy accessibility, most trails never see a crowd.

The majority of trails in the Santa Monica Mountains are free to access, including the hike to Sandstone Peak, the highest point in the range at 3,111 feet. Select a hike from the list below and begin enjoying the impressive canyons, vast ocean views, and beautiful spring wildflowers that await hikers in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Trail

Description

Distance

Location

075

La Jolla Canyon LoopThis hike explores Point Mugu State Park on the west end of the Santa Monica Mountains, offering incredible ocean views.

Mesa Peak from Corral Canyon RoadThis out and back hike travels along a ridge adorned with sandstone outcroppings to approach a peak with ocean views over Malibu. Shorten the outing by stopping at a prominent boulder on a crest above Mesa Peak.

Calabasas Peak from Old Topanga Canyon RoadThis out and back hike on Calabasas Peak Motorway approaches Calabasas Peak from the northeast, providing big views over Topanga and other parts of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Calabasas Peak from Stunt RoadThis out and back hike on Calabasas Peak Motorway approaches Calabasas Peak from the south, ascending through sandstone formations to panoramic views of the Santa Monica Mountains and San Fernando Valley.

Vanalden CaveThis short out and back hike explores a unique sandstone cave that you can stand inside and above, and the hike can be extended by visiting a nearby vista point with a panoramic perspective of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Hub Junction from Reseda BoulevardThis hike from the edge of the San Fernando Valley goes through Topanga State Park to a scenic junction at the crossroads of the Eastern Santa Monica Mountains. Extend the trek to 6.85 miles round trip by summiting Temescal Peak or to 7.95 miles round trip by taking a loop to Eagle Rock.

Mandeville Canyon to San Vicente MountainThis loop incorporating a few trails, taking a DWP road up to Westridge to visit San Vicente Mountain, before crossing Mulholland Drive and Canyonback Ridge to return to Mandeville Canyon via Hollyhock Fire Road.

Getty View ParkThis out and back hike crosses East Sepulveda Fire Road (Casiano Fire Road) on a ridge east of the 405 Freeway that offers light traffic and plentiful views of the Getty Museum and Santa Monica Bay.

Mount HollywoodThis 1,625-foot peak is a star of Griffith Park with panoramic views that can be reached from Griffith Observatory on a steep 1.4-mile hike or a scenic 2.65-mile trek and from lower in the park in Western Canyon for a hike of around 4.2 miles.

Griffith Observatory sits on a ridge between Vermont Canyon Road and Western Canyon Road on the slopes of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. Griffith Observatory is a true Los Angeles landmark that can be appreciated by arriving by trail instead of driving up the park roads. Take West Observatory Trail if you wish to hike to Griffith Observatory from Western Canyon or follow... Read more.

Take a trip to Arroyo Sequit Park to hike a short loop through a tucked-away pocket of the Santa Monica Mountains, The park is situated along Mulholland Highway inland of Leo Carrillo State Park and below the range's most rugged peaks. The surroundings for this 2.05 miles hike are beautiful. Arroyo Sequit Nature Trail has 285 feet of elevation change, winding over and... Read more.

At the west end of Malibu where Mulholland Highway meets PCH, you'll find Leo Carrillo State Park. Well known for its beaches and surfing, this park has offerings for hikers too, like the trek up Nicholas Flat Trail to an oak-wrapped grassland with a small pond, which is 7 miles round trip or more. For a shorter hike, combine the bottom of Nicholas Flat Trail with Willow... Read more.

Nicholas Flat Trail is a three-mile long 'ocean to mountains' trail beginning within Leo Carrillo State Park, just across PCH from a famous beach at the west end of Malibu. The single-track trail travels up a coastal ridge past two vista points (and lots of other ocean views) to reach Nicholas Flat, where grassy meadows are rimmed by oak trees. A small network of trails... Read more.

Dixie Canyon Park preserves twenty tucked-away acres in the Santa Monica Mountains on the north side of the range west of Coldwater Canyon. The park can be accessed from Sherman Oaks for a micro hike that is 0.55 miles round trip with 175 feet of elevation change. This partial loop follows a dirt single track that is narrow and sometime overgrown, finding shade from walnut... Read more.

Where will your boot land next?Plot your next adventure with hikespeak.com. Select a region and browse through searchable sortable lists of trails. You will find over 600 hikes to explore, plus information on campgrounds and other outdoor attractions.